Abstract
The study was carried out to examine the technical efficiency of small holder maize farmers in Ondo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to determine the efficiency level of the maize farmers in the study area, identify the determinants of maize production in the study area and identify the factors influencing farmers level of inefficiency in the study area. Multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting for the study. The Cobb Douglas functional form of the Stochastic Frontier Model (SFM) was employed to achieve the study’s objectives. The Maximum Likelihood Estimate of the SFM revealed that farm size, seeds, labour, and fertilizers were significant at 1%, 5%, and 10% levels of significance, respectively. The results also indicated that the technical efficiency (TE) scores of farmers ranged from 0.152 to 0.859, with an average efficiency of 0.709. Additionally, the study revealed that age, household size, and extension contacts in the inefficiency model were significant at 1%, 5%, and 10% levels of significance. It was concluded that the farmers were not operating at maximum efficiency, with an average efficiency improvement potential of 29.1% needed for them to operate at full capacity. It was recommended amongst others that policies by relevant stakeholders should be aimed at enabling farmers to access larger plots of land and high-quality seeds through land reforms and seed subsidies.
Published Version
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